Recall Announced on Certain 2020 Ford Explorer Vehicles

Recall Announced on Certain 2020 Ford Explorer Vehicles

October 16, 2019 Sean Reyes

Laguna Hills, CA – Oct. 10, 2019 – The Ford Motor Company announced a recall on 2020 Explorer vehicles equipped with 2.3L or 3.3L engines due to improperly secured wiring harnesses. According to the manufacturer, this defect could lead to a damaged wiring harness or a damaged air-conditioning belt drive, creating the possibility of “a short circuit and potential fire”.

The Defect

According to documents filed by Ford with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the defect was caused by improperly secured wiring harnesses that were used in production between May 28 and July 19, 2019.

“The wiring harness is not secured and may contact the air conditioning pulley, resulting in a damaged wiring harness or damaged A/C drive belt,” read the safety recall report. “If the wiring harness is not secured properly, the harness may inadvertently contact the air conditioning pulley. Over time, contact with the A/C pulley may rub through the wire harness insulation creating the potential for contact with the unused B+ circuit [and] resulting in a short circuit and potential fire.”

Ford has announced that 10,655 vehicles are involved in the recall, all of which are believed to contain the defect.

Timeline of Events

The first notice of the potential problem came in early July 2019, when a vehicle quality inspection at a Ford facility revealed two vehicles with a loose wiring harness. Ford stopped shipping of any vehicle models potentially including the same defect, and began inspecting vehicles at numerous other facilities in search of the root cause.

In August, Ford identified reports of loose wiring harnesses in vehicles already sold, “with customers reporting the wrench light and traction control lights were illuminated in the instrument panel.” On Sept. 23, the manufacturer’s field review committee reviewed the subject and approved the field action, made official in a letter to the NHTSA dated Oct. 4, 2019.

The Solution

Owners of vehicles involved in the recall will be notified by mail in late October 2019, with messages instructing them to bring their vehicle to an authorized dealership to have the defect repaired. Dealers will complete such repairs in-house at no cost, by installing a tie strap to the wiring harness. Those with further questions may contact Ford’s customer service line at (866) 436-7332, or the NHTSA line at (888) 327-4236.

For more information on vehicle recalls announced by Ford or other major automobile manufacturers, visit MotorSafety.org.

Sean ReyesRecall Announced on Certain 2020 Ford Explorer Vehicles
Subaru Recalls Forester Vehicles Due to Air Bag Risk

Subaru Recalls Forester Vehicles Due to Air Bag Risk

October 16, 2019 Sean Reyes

Laguna Hills, CA – Oct. 14, 2019 – Subaru of America has announced the recall of more than 366,000 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats, due to a defect that could potentially deactivate the front passenger air bag.

An indicator acknowledging the loss of the air bag’s function will illuminate if deactivation occurs, so hopefully drivers will be fully aware if their vehicle is affected. However, the problem still brings with it an increased possibility of injury for the individual in the passenger seat, thus necessitating the field action.

The Defect

Documents describing the defect note that it applies to certain 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles, and is caused by electrical issues.

“Over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between terminals in the occupant detection system (ODS) sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible,” Subaru’s safety recall report describing the defect pointed out. “If the connection is temporarily unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of a front right seat occupant.”

Because the sensor cannot ascertain whether or not the front right seat is occupied, it may fail to activate the air bag.

Timeline of Events

Subaru’s own chronology report regarding the defect goes back more than three years, as the issue first surfaced in April 2016. At that time, the manufacturer received its first field report related to the ODS sensor issue, which described the condition as it affected a 2016 Forester vehicle. Further reports of the same issue continued to find their way to the automaker throughout much of 2017, although no root cause could be determined by either Subaru or its supplier.

By September 2018, it had ultimately been determined that “other factors could cause connection instability, such as harness connectors and/or harness routing,” which led to a crucial update of the manufacturing process. Roughly one year later, Subaru finally concluded that the root cause of the failure was the unstable electrical connection described above.

The manufacturer was able to decide the scope of the recall by comparing vehicle production information, results of their own investigation, and field reports describing specific vehicles that contained the defect. Of the 366,282 vehicles currently reported to be included within the recall, Subaru estimates that roughly 10% of them contain the defect.

The Solution

“Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge,” stated an official letter that Subaru filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Dealers have already been notified of the field action, and owners of vehicles affected by the recall will themselves be fully informed by the end of November. However, the parts being used for the repair are not currently available, so owners will be contacted once again, at a later date, when they can actually bring their vehicle in for the remedy to be implemented at no cost.

For information on other vehicle recalls involving Subaru and other major automobile manufacturers, visit MotorSafety.org.

Sean ReyesSubaru Recalls Forester Vehicles Due to Air Bag Risk
Ford Announces the Recall of Some F-250 and F-350 Vehicles

Ford Announces the Recall of Some F-250 and F-350 Vehicles

October 9, 2019 Sean Reyes

Laguna Hills, CA – Oct. 7, 2019 – The Ford Motor Company has announced the recall of certain 2019 F-250 and F-350 vehicles equipped with electronically locking rear differentials, resulting from issues that involve the passenger-side rear axle shaft. The manufacture has reported that roughly 28,600 vehicles will be affected by the recall, with estimates suggesting that more than 15 percent of those vehicles contain the defect.

The Defect

According to Ford’s description of the defect in the recall report it filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the passenger-side axle shaft of the electronically locking rear axle assembly may have been manufactured using steel that did not meet Ford’s precise specifications. Because of the incorrect material employed in this particular manufacturing run, the automaker believes that the affected passenger-side rear axle shafts involved in the recall may fracture much earlier than expected.

Damage to the rear axle shaft could result in the loss of motive power to the vehicle. It could also prevent the vehicle from remaining in place while in the park function. Both possibilities significantly increase the possibility of crash, injury or unintended damage to the vehicle.

Timeline of Events

As detailed by the information included in the safety recall report sent to the NHTSA, the defect first came to light in August 2019, when a supplier notified Ford of a vehicle that had experienced an unusual passenger-side axle shaft failure during production testing. Further investigation revealed that part to have been produced with incorrect materials.

“Upon investigation, the supplier determined that a certain batch of axles produced with an incorrect steel type were inadvertently mixed with the correct F-Super Duty axle shafts,” the automaker explained in its report. “Axles produced with the [incorrect] material do not meet Ford’s torsional strength and hardness specifications.”

The recall action was officially approved by Ford’s Field Review Committee on Sept. 23, 2019.

The Solution

The documents filed by Ford with the NHTSA stated that Ford will begin notifying owners of the potentially affected in early October and encourage them to bring their vehicles in for an examination by their dealerships. Professionals will inspect the passenger-side rear axle shaft, replacing the part whenever necessary at no cost to vehicle owners. The recall is expected to formally begin Oct. 21, 2019.

Those with further questions about the F-250 and F-350 recalls may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. The identification number for this field action is 19S31. For other issues or to seek more information, vehicle owners may also contact the NHTSA at (888) 327-4236.

For additional news on Ford recalls, and other reports from the automotive industry, be sure to regularly visit MotorSafety.org.

Sean ReyesFord Announces the Recall of Some F-250 and F-350 Vehicles
Chrysler Recalls Jeep Wrangler Vehicles with Right Hand Side Drive

Chrysler Recalls Jeep Wrangler Vehicles with Right Hand Side Drive

October 9, 2019 Sean Reyes

Laguna Hills, CA – Oct. 3, 2019 – Chrysler has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of a recall pertaining to certain Jeep Wrangler right hand drive vehicles produced between late 2010 and early 2018. The reason for the recall is a defect involving the driver’s seat belt buckle mounting strap.

The manufacturer sells a small number of right-hand drive Jeep Wrangler vehicles to American consumers – in addition to the left hand drive-style vehicles that are standard in the U.S. – for very particular reasons, at least in theory: They are made specifically for rural mail carriers, who benefit from the unusual design in a number of ways.

“Right-hand drive Wranglers are intended for rural mail deliverers who need to deal with both intense climates (hence the Wrangler) and mailboxes mounted on the passenger side of the vehicle (hence right hand drive)”, stated a report published by AutoTrader three years ago. “These postal workers don’t drive to one spot in the neighborhood and walk around to all the houses, since each one of their deliveries can sometimes be several miles apart, so they deliver mail directly from their vehicles.”

While the vehicles are made specifically for these mail carriers, there are no restrictions on who is able to purchase them, so the vehicle is available for sale to the general public as well.

The Defect

According to the safety recall report filed by Chrysler, the defect essentially creates the possibility that over time the seat belt system may become inoperative.

stated a report published by AutoTrader three years ago explained that if the seat belt buckle is “fatigue-loaded” – subjected to excessive stress over time – its mounting strap can fracture and separate from the seat cushion’s frame.

The manufacturer estimates that roughly 11,463 vehicles could potentially be involved in the recall, although it also estimates that only 1% of those vehicles contain the defect. Information on the cause of the flaw has not been included in any of the documents currently available.

Timeline of Events

The first notice of the possible defect came out March 20, 2019, when the NHTSA provided Chrysler with a vehicle owner questionnaire that described a driver’s seat belt buckle strap separation on a 2015 Jeep Wrangler right hand drive vehicle.

Chrysler then conducted a number of tests on the failed buckle strap, and identified a “fatigue failure near the buckle strap mounting hole” as the reason for the problem. Additional, similar reports involving 2016 vehicles then followed, leading Chrysler to continue the investigation.

Chrysler examined field data including customer complaints, vehicle owner questionnaires and warranty claims between July 24 and Aug. 8 and conducted engineering evaluations. These efforts led the automaker to conclude that only 2011-2018 Jeep Wrangler RHD vehicles built for rural mail carriers and sold in the U.S. market were affected.

On Sept. 19, 2019, following the identification of a number of additional warranty claims and other reports pertaining to the same defect, Chrysler decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall of the affected vehicles.

The Solution

The recall is still in its early stages, so Chrysler is not planning to notify dealers or vehicle owners until Nov. 15, 2019. At that point, those who own the affected vehicles will bring them into an authorized dealership, where the seat belt buckle assembly will be repaired or replaced as is necessary at no cost.

For information on additional Chrysler recalls, visit MotorSafety.org.

Sean ReyesChrysler Recalls Jeep Wrangler Vehicles with Right Hand Side Drive
Recall Lookup
Enter your vehicle(s) below to check the current recall status.

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories